As part of our culture, we are more fond of asking friends we meet along the way: Kumain ka na? Or Nakakaon na ba ka? Or Have you eaten yet? Instead of asking how they are — which is more common in the west.
Eating seems to be the all-too important activity for most of us. I’m just curious how many of us are breakfast-eaters? Is eating breakfast important? What happens if we skip it? What is the current consumer landscape with breakfast items?
Breakfast provides the body and brain with fuel after an overnight fast, hence, the name breakfast! If you are not a breakfast-eater, you are practically running on empty, that is, you are like a car which is running without gas or petrol!
Why eat breakfast? Here are the reasons based on some research studies: It gives you an energy boost; it reduces chances of obesity; it gives you a welcome shot of vitamins and minerals; and it improves your mood.
Moreover, eating breakfast, gives one long-term benefits like reducing obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes. Eating breakfast also jumpstarts your metabolism, hence, helps you burn more calories throughout the day.
More reasons why eating breakfast is important: 1) It enhances your memory; it plays an important role in getting high grades and doing well in your job; 2) It fights cravings. Do yourself (as well as your waistline) a favor by eating breakfast; 3) It prevents cold and flu. A Dutch study revealed that a substantial breakfast boosts the body’s gamma-inferon, a natural antiviral that boost immune function; 4) You can live up to 100! Those who have lived to celebrate their 100th birthday ‘eat like a king?’
In addition, people living in the Blue Zone -— global locations known for good health and a long lifespan — all eat the most calories at breakfast, the second most at lunch and the least at dinner.
A valuable advice from health experts for all of us is: eat a substantial, well-balanced breakfast that delivers energy slowly over the course of the morning.
In addition, breakfast should be eaten within two hours of waking and it should provide 20-35 percent guideline daily allowance.
Failure to eat a well-balanced breakfast may result to: impaired cognitive functioning, that is, poor grades among school children; increased risk of heart disease, weight gain, diabetes mellitus, loss of bone mineral density which may affect your bone health; your being more grouchy and impaired cognitive abilities and academic performance in children.
According to a Cardiff University research, skipping breakfast make one more prone to infections, because “white blood cells , which fight off infection need a morning boost.”
The consumer landscape around breakfast items have been changing rapidly. The rise of the Breakfastarian — the consumer who wants to have the opportunity to eat breakfast items all-day long — may cause some confusion as to what is appropriate to eat at different times of the day.
As Adelle Davis (1960), a nutritionist, sums it up: “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.”
Be a good role model and eat your breakfast.
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Author’s email: ntayko@yahoo.com
